Book cover



E. B. GERALD May 19, 1964 BOOK COVER Filed Sept. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ELIZABETH B. GERALD ATTORNEYS y 19, 1964 E. B. GERALD 3,133,750

BOOK covER Filed Sept. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ELIZABETH B. GERALD Y ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,133,750 BOOK COVER Elizabeth B. Gerald, Roxbury, Conn. Filled Sept. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 141,700 4 Claims. (Cl. 281-44) This invention relates to coverings for books and the like and more particularly to improved protective and decorative book covers sold separately from the book with which they are to be used and which the user may apply to the book without special knowledge or equipment. The present invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 122,948, filed July 10, 1961 for Book Cover, now abandoned.

In my co-pending application a one-piece book cover for use with paperback books is disclosed which is provided with reinforced portions dimensioned to cover the front cover and rear cover as well as a flexible portion provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive to cover the spine of a paperback book. Flaps are provided for attaching the book cover to the paperback book by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the flap. An opening is formed in the spine portion of the book cover to expose the title legend of the book.

The book cover of my co-pending application is intended as an artcile of manufacture which is initially dimensioned at the time of its manufacture to fit any of several standard size paperback books. Within the confines of this limitation the book cover of my co-pending application quite satisfactorily fills an important need.

It has been observed, however, that there are a Substantial number of paperback books on the market which do not conform to any of a limited number of standard sizes.

It has further been noted that in many instances a paperback book has been allowed to deteriorate somewhat before the owner decides to put a cover on it with the result that the front or rear covers and even the closely adjacent pages may have become loosened from the body of the book. With the structure of my co-pending application it is extremely difiicult to secure the adhesive coated flaps to the loosened pages to provide a properly covered book, and in the alternative it is unsatisfactory to attach the adhesive covered flap to a second or third page of the book, as the case may be, thereby forever relegating the semi-detached or detached pages to'a separate status tucked in between the cover and the first attached page.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a book cover as an article of manufacture which may be purchased by the owner of a paperback book and which may be marketed in a form substantialy ready for use and which additionally may be adjusted to accept paperback books varying within limits as to their size.

It is another object of this invention to provide means in conjunction with a book cover for a paperback book whereby detached pages at either end of the book may be incorporated in usable form into the book at the time of covering.

It is a further object of this invention to provide novel means in conjunction with a book cover for use with a paperback book whereby when a book has been covered by the book cover handle means are provided for carrying the book.

It is still another object of this invention to provide in conjunction with a book cover for use with a paperback book means for protecting the exposed edges of the pages of the book thusly covered.

In the practice of the invention in a preferred embodiment thereof a paperback book cover is constructed having reinforced front and rear cover portions and a spine portion. The spine portion is provided with means whereby the title and author legend of the spine may be visible through the book cover and the spine portion is initially dimensioned to accept a standard size paperback book. The spine portion is, however, detachably secured to the front and rear cover portions whereby its width dimension may be adjusted to compensate for different size books.

These and other objects and the features of my invention will appear as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a paperback book covered with the book cover of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of a book cover according to my invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the manner of attachment of the book cover of the invention to a paperback book to change the spine width and further showing the employment of a protective spine covering;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective showing an alternative embodiment of my invention including means for protecting a detached cover of a paperback book;

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of an alternative form of the invention showing a dust flap in position on the book;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the book of FIG. 5 showing the dust flap in operative position;

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment of the invention showing carrying cords; and

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective of a book according to the embodiment of FIG. 7 in closed condition.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a paperback book 10 is shown having a book cover 12 positioned thereabout and covering both front and rear portions of the paperback book as well as the spine portion thereof. It will be noted that an elongated opening 14 is provided in the spine portion to expose the title and author legend.

As is the case with my co-pending application, the book cover of my invention, as seen in FIG. 2 comprises a cover sheet 16 which may be of any suitable material but is preferably constructed of a thin flexible plastic. The cover sheet 16 is divided into a front cover portion indicated at 18, a rear cover portion indicated at 20 and a spine portion indicated at 22. Adjacent the front cover portion 18 and rear cover portion 2% and integral therewith respectively are end flaps 24 and 26. The end flaps 24 and 26 are provided with a pressure sensitive adhesive 28 in order to secure them to the inside of front and rear covers of the book respectively. The spine portion 22 is likewise provided with pressure sensitive adhesive 28. Alternatively, the entire cover 16 may be thusly provided with adhesive 28 on the interior face thereof.

Attached to the cover 16 at the front cover portion 18 is a reinforcing panel 30 which may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably cardboard. A similar reinforcing panel 32 is attached to the cover 16 at the rear cover portion 20. The panels 36 and 32 may be attached by any suitable means and where the cover 16 is provided over its entire interior face with pressure sensitive adhesive 28 the panels 30 and 32 may be attached to the cover thereby.

It will be noted that in the completed article only the end flaps 24 and 26 and the spine portion 22 present adhesive surfaces. In order to protect these surfaces a thin protective peel-off sheet 34 is provided to cover the adhesive 28 prior to use. The sheet 34 may be any suitable protective material such as a readily stripped from the to use.

As will be observed in FIG. 2 the book cover of the plastic film, which may be pressure sensitive adhesive prior present invention is initially manufactured as three separate units: the spine portion 22, the front cover portion 18 with its associated end flap 24 and the rear cover portion with its associated end fiap 26. It will be noted that in the process of manufacture the front cover portion 18 and rear cover portion 20 are interchangeable from the point of view of cutting and assembling.

The book cover is then assembled with a preselected spine width dimension with edge portions indicated at 36 and 38 of the spine portion 22 positioned on the outside of the cover 16 at the front cover portion 18 and rear cover portion 20 respectively. Since the spine portion 22 is provided with adhesive 23 the edge portions 36 and 33 thereof readily adhere to the cover 16 along its outer surface. In this assembled form the cover is ready for marketing.

It has been noted that paperback books as manufactured are produced in a limited number of vertical dimensions which number is sufficiently small that a few different size covers will take care of almost all paperback books produced. The factor in book construction which is most likely to vary unpredictably is the number of pages in the book and the weight of the paper used in the pages and it is this factor which requires that the spine portion of a book cover be adjustable. It will be noted that the structure of the present invention accomplishes this requirement in the following fashion: The book cover is initially assembled to be attached to a paperback book of a given vertical dimension and having a standard or average thickness. If the user finds that the spine portion 22 of the book cover as thusly assembled is of unsatisfactory width for use with a particular book he may easily strip the spine portion 22 from the adjacent portions of the cover 16 along its edges 36 and 38 and easily widen or shorten the effective spine area.

This adjustment to book spine width is shown in FIG. 3 where the book 16 has a spine 40 which has proven to be of a width which is not the same as the book cover spine. The spine portion 22 is stripped from the assembled cover and the front and rear cover portions 18 and 26 are independently attached to front cover 42 and rear cover 44 of the book respectively by removing the peeloif paper 34 from the flaps 24 and 26 and folding the flaps around the covers 42 and 44. The spine portion 22 may then be easily reassembled over the front portion 18 and rear portion 20 with the opening 14 in the spine portion 22 in alignment with the title legend on the spine 40. This is accomplished as seen in FIG. 3 by initially positioning the edge 38 of the spine portion 22 to overlap the rear cover portion 20 to the proper degree. The same procedure is then carried out with respect to the edge 36 of the spine portion 22 which is secured over the front cover portion 18.

FIG. 3 also shows a sheet of transparent protective material 46, preferably plastic film which may be placed over the spine 40 of the book 10 and secured thereto by any suitable means to protect that portion of the spine 40 which is exposed through the opening 14 in the book cover. Alternatively the protective sheet 46 may be attached to the spine portion 22 of the book cover in which instance it will be secured thereto by the pressure-sensitive adhesive 28.

While it will be found that in the majority of cases it will not be necessary to thusly disassemble the preassembled book cover 12, the structure of the present invention makes such disassembly and reassembly possible unlike the structure of my co-pending application.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the front cover portion 18 of the book cover is not provided with a flap to be folded over the cover of the paperback book and secured thereto but is rather provided with novel means whereby the book cover may be attached to a paperback book which has lost its front cover or the front cover of which has become severely loosened from the spine portion of the book. When this condition exists it is unsatisfactory to use the flap structure hereinbefore described where the flap provided with pressure-sensitive adhesive adjacent the front cover portion of the book cover is folded around and secured to the cover of the paperback book. Where the cover is loosened or missing such structure requires that the flap portion be folded around and secured to a page of the book. The page is normally of a paper of substantially less weight than the cover and as a result the cover is not securely fastened to the book. The usual result is that the page to which the cover is attached will be torn out of the book after a small amount of use. There is also no Way to provide for the retention of loosened pages.

FIG. 4 shows a book cover similar to that of FIGS. 1 through 3 but in which the flap 24 adjacent the front cover portion 18 is substantially changed. In FIG. 4 the front cover portion 13 is provided with the reinforcing panel 30 and in place of the fiap 24 is provided with an extension flap 48 which is folded back over against the panel 30 and to which a further extension member 50 is attached. The member 50 is dimensioned substantially the same size as a page of the book It) and constructed of transparent adhesive-backed material, preferably a plastic film. In this construction the transparent adhesive backed member 50 is secured over its entire area to the first page of the book 10 thereby securing the book cover to the book. This structure distributes the forces tending to rip the page more evenly and results in longer wear. Any loose pages or loose covers may then be inserted in an opening indicated at 52 between the extension flap 48 and the rigid panel 36 and safely retained there. They may be easily removed from the opening for reading by slightly flexing the front cover portion 18. An opening 54 is shown in the extension flap 48 whereby an ex libris designation may be written or stamped upon the rigid panel 36 is desired.

PEG. 5 shows a further modification of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 4 in which a dust protecting member is additionally provided. The dust protecting member comprises a sheet of Water proof material 56, preferably a plastic, which is secured by any suitable means along an upper edge 58 of the extension flap 48. The dust protector 56 is attached to the extension fiap 48 so that a substantial area of the dust protector will extend above the top edge 58 thereof.

As shown in FIG. 6 the dust protector 56 may be easily tucked in between the rear cover portion 20 of the book it) and the book itself to substantially cover the top of the book and to protect it from dust or rain. It will also be observed that the dust protector 56 may be conveniently used as a place marker if desired.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a further alternative embodiment of the invention in which a book it) is provided as before with a book cover having a front cover portion 18, a rear cover portion 20 and a spine portion 22. After the book cover has been assembled on the book as above described a carrying handle indicated at 60 may be attached to the exterior of the book cover. This is accomplished by positioning an endless cord 62 of suitable length to extend in two runs parallel to each other and parallel to the top and bottom of the book cover. Handles are formed by the end loops of the cord 62. The cord 62 is then secured to the exterior surface 16 of the book cover by means of tapes 64 and 66 which are provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive 68 on their underside and which are fitted over the cord 62.

FIG. 8 shows the book 10 in closed position with the handles indicated at 60 whereby it may be easily carried.

It will be understood that the cord 62 could be shortened so as not to extend across the spine portion 22 of the book cover and alternatively therefore two lengths of cord 62 would be required one for the front cover portion 18 and one for the rear cover portion 20.

It will further be noted that various changes and modifications can be made in the several embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, the dust protector 56 may be secured to the rear cover portion 18 or may be disposed to cover the bottom or front opening of the book. In addition the extension flaps 48 and transparent member 50 may be provided in conjunction with the rear cover portion 20 as Well as with the front cover portion 18.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A book cover dimensioned to fit around the exterior of a paperback book, said book cover having a front cover portion, a rear cover portion, a first end flap adjacent said front cover portion, a second end flap adjacent said rear cover portion, a layer of pressuresensitive adhesive on said first end flap and said second end flap to secure said flaps to said paperback book, a spine portion positioned to overlap a portion of said front cover portion and said rear cover portion, a pressure-sensitive adhesive on said spine portion whereby said spine portion may be removably bonded to said front cover portion and said rear cover portion and whereby said spine portion may also be bonded to said paperback book and means for protecting said pressuresensitive adhesive prior to the application of said book cover to said paperback book.

2. A book cover for use with a paperback book comprising a front cover portion, a rear cover portion, a first reinforcing panel bonded to said front cover portion, a second reinforcing panel bonded to said rear cover portion, a first end flap adjacent said front cover portion, a second end flap adjacent said rear cover portion, a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on said first end flap and said second end flap to secure said flaps to a paperback book, means for protecting said pressuresensitive adhesive prior to the application of said book cover to said book, a spine portion dimensioned to overlap a portion of said front cover portion and said rear cover portion, a pressure-sensitive adhesive on said spine portion whereby said spine portion may be removably positioned on said front cover portion and said rear cover portion and whereby a paperback book may also be securely bonded thereto.

3. A book cover for use with a paperback book comprising a front cover portion, a rear cover portion, a spine portion dimensioned to overlie the adjacent edges of said front cover portion and said rear cover portion, a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on said spine portion in said areas adjacent said front cover portion and said rear cover portion whereby said spine portion may be removably secured thereto, a first reinforcing panel bonded to said front cover portion, a second reinforcing panel bonded to said rear cover portion, a first end flap on said front cover portion whereby said front cover portion may be secured to the front cover of a paperback book, a second end flap adjacent said rear cover portion whereby said rear cover portion may be secured to the rear cover of a paperback book, a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on said first end flap and on said second end flap to secure said end flaps to said paperback book and means comprising a thin, flexible plastic sheet positioned upon said pressure-sensitive adhesive to protect said adhesive prior to application to said paperback book.

4. A cover for a paperback book as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said first end flap adjacent said front cover portion comprising an extension member of substantially equal size with said front cover portion and foldable therearound, a flap member of trans parent material substantially equal in size to a page of the said paperback book to be bound and integral with said extension member, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive on said transparent flap member whereby said flap member may be secured to the first fast page of said paperback book.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 752,537 Eneas Feb. 16, 1904 1,121,566 McKee Dec. 15, 1914 1,754,811 Webb Apr. 15, 1930 3,080,178 Brody Mar. 5, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,063 Norway Apr. 2, 1906 809,074 Germany July 23, 1951 

1. A BOOK COVER DIMENSIONED TO FIT AROUND THE EXTERIOR OF A PAPERBACK BOOK, SAID BOOK COVER HAVING A FRONT COVER PORTION, A REAR COVER PORTION, A FIRST END FLAP ADJACENT SAID FRONT COVER PORTION, A SECOND END FLAP ADJACENT SAID REAR COVER PORTION, A LAYER OF PRESSURESENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON SAID FIRST END FLAP AND SAID SECOND END FLAP TO SECURE SAID FLAPS TO SAID PAPERBACK BOOK, A SPINE PORTION POSITIONED TO OVERLAP A PORTION OF SAID FRONT COVER PORTION AND SAID REAR COVER PORTION, A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON SAID SPINE PORTION WHEREBY SAID SPINE PORTION MAY BE REMOVABLY BONDED TO SAID FRONT COVER PORTION AND SAID REAR COVER PORTION AND WHEREBY SAID SPINE PORTION MAY ALSO BE BONDED TO SAID PAPERBACK BOOK AND MEANS FOR PROTECTING SAID PRESSURESENSITIVE ADHESIVE PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION OF SAID BOOK COVER TO SAID PAPERBACK BOOK. 